First Lady Kicks Off College Completion Tour

Charleston, W.Va. - First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin will underscore the importance of college completion during a series of events at each of West Virginia's community and technical colleges beginning this Monday. The First Lady will travel to the institutions and present them with the College Completion Challenge, a call to action developed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Association of Community College Trustees that aims to increase student completion rates nationwide.

"We are seeing more and more West Virginians pursue postsecondary credentials, but we need a stronger emphasis than ever before on college completion," the First Lady said. "West Virginia's future economy will be strong only because of a well-prepared, educated workforce - and increasing the ranks of those with a college degree or certification is the best way to reach that goal."

Over the next five weeks, the First Lady will meet with the president of each institution as they commit to this challenge, signifying a unified statewide effort to realize an additional 16,000 West Virginians with certifications or degrees by 2015. In addition to signing on to, "Accepting the College Completion Challenge: A Call to Action," each president will receive a resolution developed by the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (WVCTCS) that embraces the commitment of the AACC. Robert Brown, Chairman of the WVCTCS, and James Skidmore, WVCTCS Chancellor, will join the presidents in signing this resolution.

Globally, America is falling short in postsecondary achievement - and by the year 2018, more than 60 percent of jobs will require a college certificate or degree. In West Virginia, at least 20,000 additional citizens will need postsecondary credentials to meet projected workforce needs. During the past three years, enrollment in community and technical colleges has increased 21 percent and tuition has been held to an average increase of $67 per year. Concurrently, the number of college credentials awarded by community and technical colleges has increased by 24 percent.

As part of the college completion tour, the First Lady will visit with college officials, local businesses and industry representatives to discuss their ideas and issues related to community college education in West Virginia.